Federal Labor feels the heat over Burke connections

PM - Wednesday, 28 February , 2007 18:27:22

Reporter: Gillian Bradford

MARK COLVIN: Federal Labor politicians have also been feeling the heat over their contacts with Brian Burke.

The Opposition leader Kevin Rudd has confirmed he's met Mr Burke on two or three occasions.

Another senior Labor figure, Stephen Smith, said it was more than a decade since he could recall even having a conversation with Mr Burke and he wished more Labor MPs had followed his example.

From Canberra, Gillian Bradford reports

GILLIAN BRADFORD: If you're a Labor politician, having any sort of association with Brian Burke is starting to look a like a political death sentence.

Just yesterday in Federal Parliament, the Treasurer Peter Costello shouted across the chamber that the Member for Swan, Kim Wilkie, was one of the voices of Brian Burke.

They were potentially poisonous words, and today came this correction from Mr Wilkie

KIM WILKIE: Mr Speaker, I've never had a conversation with Brian Burke, either in person or via the telephone, let alone acted as his voice in this Parliament. The Treasurer's statement is completely false.

GILLIAN BRADFORD: But there are others in the federal party who've had more to do with Mr Burke.

Kevin Rudd has met him on two or three occasions, but says he never got a sense Mr Burke was trying to further his own interests or was involved in underhand conduct.

KEVIN RUDD: In terms of the reports which have emerged in terms of the behaviour of certain individuals, including Mr Burke, I do not support them at all.

GILLIAN BRADFORD: Mr Rudd was introduced to Mr Burke by another Federal Labor MP, the Vietnam veteran Graham Edwards. Mr Edwards says he's an old friend of Mr Burke, though the two have had little to do with each other in recent times.

He says he and Mr Rudd had coffee with Mr Burke on at least one occasion, and they talked about a range of things. Mr Edwards says there was absolutely nothing improper in the meeting.

Still, the senior Western Australian Stephen Smith wishes more Labor MPs would have less to do with Brian Burke.

STEPHEN SMITH: I can't recall a telephone conversation that I've had with Brian Burke in the last decade and a half. And as I said to Sky TV just before Christmas, if only more people in Western Australia had followed that example.

I don't believe… I don't believe… I don't believe… that the activities and actions of Brian Burke, which have been exposed in the Corruption Commission established by a state Labor Government, deserve anything other than complete and absolute condemnation.

GILLIAN BRADFORD: Western Australia is a key seat in this federal election. There are two marginal seats Labor must win if it's got any chance of picking up the 16 seats it needs to win Government.

It's not clear if this State scandal will rub off on the federal party, but Liberals like Tony Smith are happy to make the link

TONY SMITH: All week you've had West Australian Labor Members of Parliament pretending they haven't met Mr Burke, they don't know Mr Burke, they might have heard his name somewhere.

It's about time they said to the Australian public the extent of their dealings, what they've had to do with Mr Burke, whether Mr Burke has an influence over policy at the Federal ALP level, as he clearly does that the state level.

GILLIAN BRADFORD: The Prime Minister is more subtle in his criticism of federal Labor, but still sees it as an open question if anyone is tainted at the federal level.

JOHN HOWARD: There's no doubt that Brian Burke has remained an enormously influential figure. And I'm not saying that it won't reflect on Federal Labor, but I'm not saying it will, because I haven't seen hard evidence yet.

I mean, he clearly has some association with people, but just what that is and the context and everything, we have to wait and see. But I'm not making those allegations but I'm certainly not saying to the contrary either.

MARK COLVIN: The Prime Minister, John Howard, ending that report by Gillian Bradford.